Inaugural 'Fill The Bus Drive' rolls into northern Nevada

RENO, Nev. (MyNews4.com & KRNV) -- Every day, 94 Nevada students drop out of school resulting in a statewide graduation rate of 65 percent, according to a recent press release from Communities In Schools spokesperson Jane Holman.

To help turn this tide, Communities In Schools Western Nevada (CIS WNV) is set to launch the CIS school-based dropout prevention program in the hopes of keeping kids in school and eliminating barriers to education at Libby Booth Elementary School, Hug High School and Washoe Innovations High School.

The goal of Fill the Bus is to secure school supplies for more than 2,200 kindergarten-through-12th-grade students in Washoe County School District.

Fill The Bus will take place Saturday, Aug. 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Sam’s Club, 4825 Kietzke Lane. Free activities will be offered as well as a basketball shootout challenge. Clothing and school essentials will also be collected in partnership with Goodwill all day on Friday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 10 at Sam’s Club.

To support these schools, Sam’s Club and Walmart stores, in partnership with CIS Western Nevada, will collect school supplies Aug. 1 through 12 at the below locations.

Fill The Bus donation bins will be available at all sites and suggested supplies will be highlighted. For $10, donors can purchase pre-selected backpacks stuffed with more than $35 worth of supplies to donate to Fill The Bus.